TROY >> Work has been halted at the former King Fuels site as an investigation of an asbestos issue in the area was launched by federal and state agencies last week.

Stop-work orders from the state Department of Labor could be seen at both entrances of the approximately 42-acre site, calling for assessment and cleanups as well as variances from the contractor. The state Department of Environmental Conservation as well as the Environmental Protection Agency are also involved in the investigation.

The site is currently owned by the city’s Local Development Corp., Casale Excavating, owned by local contractor Charles Casale, has been contracted to do all of the demolition and removal work.

According to Andrew Kreshik, project manager for the King Fuels site, an operator for Casale called DOL claiming he was “uncomfortable” with something he had done. Kreshik also said there was a complaint lodged with DOL claiming criminal activities occurred on the site, such as trying to bury asbestos-contaminated material.

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Kreshik showed several areas that could be of interest, including one new item he said appeared last week.

There was one pile of debris containing what he referred to as a concrete asbestos board, which he was sure would test positive for containing asbestos but said it was not friable asbestos.

Kreshik also showed another pile where a brick was covered in a tar-like substance, of which DOL had taken a sample. The brick was contained in a pile from the demolition of buildings 4 and 5 on the site, as well as other debris in the area near the building, and was being mixed with clean dirt to be used for backfill, which Kreshik said is a common practice.

Then there was the wrapped pipe, which he said would most likely contain asbestos.

No work can be done on the site until test results conducted by DOL come back.

Kreshik claimed due diligence had been done on the buildings the LDC was looking to take down and said Casale was under the impression he was working on buildings that did not have asbestos exposure after abatement was done by Atlantic Contracting on specified structures. He added the LDC followed the guidelines set out by DOL for demolition and disposal.

Kreshik also said the air monitoring variances, performed by Alpine Environmental, was properly sent to DOL as well as notification of work being done by Atlantic to DOL and EPA.

The site has been used as a dumping ground for nearly 20 years, Kreshik said, whether its other contractors or other people, adding it could be why some material had been found there.

It’s a reason the LDC will discuss, during its meeting Friday, the topic of installing surveillance cameras to further monitor the site since it is not the most closed area.

Depending on the results from the DOL, Kreshik said the investigation could pose a problem for the rest of the project, including the environmental remediation planned by National Grid.

“They won’t do anything until the asbestos is cleaned up,” Kreshik said.

Still, he claimed the investigation being performed is broader than the project itself, as he said the LDC was merely tasked with removing the safety hazard, which are the buildings, and facilitate the site’s remediation.

The investigation could also result in the LDC having to do the cleanup of approximately 40 acres of any asbestos contamination on the site where there is no identifiable source to place liability.

The site became a controversial one after former city Engineer Russ Reeves resigned in late April over differences in public safety. Reeves claimed plenum walls were taken down by Casale in close proximity to a 12-inch gas main maintained by National Grid, which he said could have caused injury or fatalities.

The LDC has claimed the walls taken down were done from a safe distance and did not even require a permit for demolition. The LDC also questioned why Reeves had any concerns as it is a private project on private property.